The US embassy in Timor-Leste has allocated $496,900 to The Asia Foundation (TAF) to help create additional markets for women’s weaving groups.
The US Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Karen Stanton, said the new project ‘Futus: women weaving the future’ was part of a working cooperation between the USA and Timor-Leste to help diversify women’s economy through tais products.
The colorful Timorese hand-woven cloth was traditionally used for ceremonial occasions, clothing and decoration, but is now made into a wide variety of modern-day handicrafts such as handbags, jewelry and cushion covers.
“This project is to seek additional markets for women weavers and help women’s groups earn more money to support their families,” said Stanton following the launch of the new project at her office in Pantai Kelapa, Dili.
She encouraged women’s weaving groups to produce more tais as foreigners, including embassy staff, often purchased tais as a souvenir for their families.
She said monitoring would be conducted two years after the program’s implementation to assess the progress. If the results show there has been a positive impact on women’s income levels then new activities would be established for them.
TAF Country Representative Susan Marx said the majority of Timorese people were farmers or traditional producers, but research by the Foundation showed that 40% had not yet accessed markets for their products.
She said TAF was working with the Alola Foundation and Good Enterprise with support from the US Embassy to improve the quality of tais products and help local producers gain access to international markets.
She said TAF would provide training to women’s groups in business and financial management in order to improve their understanding of practical enterprise.
Alola Foundation’s Program Manager for Strengthening Women’s Economy Jose Sabino Ximenes said by this support they would create the additional market for women’ groups to earn money.
He said local women’s groups were able to sell their products through the Alola esperansa shop and had also had the opportunity to attend an international fair.
He said Alola had had discussions with the Asia Foundation to facilitate women’s groups to showcase their tais products at future international fairs in America and Australia.
The new program aims to provide training to improve the quality and the variety of tais products to the four main groups in Baucau, Bobonaro, Covalima and Lautem municipalities, he added.
